Press



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheem 1.

A. B. SOHOFIELD.

PLATE PRINTING PRESS. 7

No. 465,000. Pa nted Dec. 15,1891.

(I I x IIII - (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. B. SGHOFIELD.

PLATE PRINTING PRESS.

No. 465,000. Patented Dec. 15, 1891.

I MC. 6 m

w w a in y. M a d II llll UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ANDREW B. SCHOFIELD, OF "ASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFTlVO-FIFTHS TO JAKE COVERT AND ADELBERT M.

DElVEY, OF SAME PLACE.

PLATE-PRINTING PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,000, dated December15, 1891. Application filed May 5,1891- Serial No. 391,688. (No model.)

T0 60% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW B. SOHOFIELD, a citizen-of the United States,residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Printing Presses; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same,

My invention relates to plate-printing presses designed for printingfrom copper and steel plates, and has especial reference to that classof presses in which the press is actuated by hand-power, and which aretechnically termed in the art hand-presses.-

In the presses now in general use means are employed for using but asingle plate in connection therewith, the result being that the amountof work accomplished is necessarily limited, and the Work involved of avery laborious character.

.The objects of my invention are to lessen the labor employed in theoperation of a press and to provide facilities for increasing itscapacity.

To these ends my invention may be said to consist, generally, inproviding a press of the class above referred to with a sectionalendless oarrier, upon which is mounted at equidistant portions thereof aseries of tables or planks of new and novel construction, which supportsand holds the copper or steel plates, and which is adapted to be rotatedin one continuous direction and bring the tables or planks in turnbetween two rollers for giving the impression.

My invention also consists in the construction and relative arrangementof the several parts, all of which will be now fully and clearlyexplained, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which forma part of this specification, and in Which- Figure 1 represents avertical longitudinal section of my improved plate-printing press. Fig.2 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 3 is a top View of one of thetables and a portion of the endless carrier. Fig. 4 is a detail of theoperating-roller, and Fig. 5 represents a modified form of roller and asection of carrier therefor.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote like parts.

A represents the frame of the machine, which is provided with theextensions B B, in the ends of which are j ournaled the shafts c c ofthe drums c 0. These drums are octagonal in their cross-sections,although drums having any other suitable number of faces may beemployed. Passing around these drums is an endless carrier (1 d,which isformed of sections hinged together, a tongue on one section entering arecess in the next adjacent section, as shown. The top and bottomsurfaces of that portion of the carrier which is uppermost is unbroken,and sufficient play is allowed by reason of the inclined portions (1 ofthe sections to give the requisite flexibility in passingaround thedrums c c. Secured to equidistant sectionsof the carrierby screws d, asshown, or by other suitable means, are a series of tables or planks e ee, preferably three in number, as shown, and which support and hold thecopper or steel plate (indicated by dotted lines m) from which theimpressions are to be made. The portions of the tables or planks beyondthe centers 6 are cut away, as indicated at 6 Fig. 3, to prevent thebinding of the ends thereof between the carriers.

F represents the lower or anti-friction roller, which is mountedcentrally and transversely to the frame. Secured to the frame betweenthis roller and the drums c c are supportingrails g g, which are carriedinward as near as possible to the point of contact of the cylinder, thuspresenting a substantially unbroken support for the carriers and tablesor planks and insuring a perfectly horizontal movement to the tables orplanks as they pass:over the lower roller.

H is the impression-roller, which is mounted in the upwardly-yieldingbearings t" in the standards 2', and which operates with the bottomroller to form the impression from the 5 plate. This impression-rolleris operated in .impart motion thereto.

carrier during the time the table or plank and plate are passing betweenthe rollers. The function of this construction is toimpart motion to theplate and its supporting-table by frictional contact between the table,blanket, and rollers, as I find that by this manner of operation thebest results are attained. Arranged at each side of the impression-roller are revolving rods 7t, which are supported in any suitablemanner in the standards. The blanket Z, which is connected at each endto suitable ropes and pulleys arranged above the machine, passes aroundunder these re volving rods and roller and travels with the roller andplate during an impression. As soon, however, as the plate leaves theroller the blanket, being properly weighted, returns to its normalposition and is ready for the next impression. The rods are arranged soas to depress the blanket, in order to give as little friction aspossible with the roller.

In Fig. 5 is shown a roller having a series of teeth formed in theperiphery of its ends, which are adapted to engage a series ofdepressions formed in the upper surface of the tracks. This constructioninsures a positive motion'to the carrier and may be used to advantage;but for ordinary purposes I prefer that the motion shall be imparted byfrictional contact alone.

The operation is as follows: The handle is turned until the parts arebrought in the position shown in Fig. 1that is, with two of the tablesarranged on the same plane and at either side of the impression-rollerat the ends of the machine. The steel or other plates are then placed inposition on the tables and are inked and polished and carried in turnbetween the roller and cylinder.

Among the advantages of my construction over the presses now in generaluse is that while one plate is givingan impression another plate may beprepared ready for use, and this may or may not be done by one person,as it is evident that an assistant could operate the press and ink theplates, and thus relieve the printer from much of the manual labor nowrequired of him. With my construction the plates when once in positiondo not require rehandling, and the different operations maybe carried oneach independent of the other.

The heating of the plates maybe done in any known or preferred manner byjets within the drums or at any other positions along the line of travelof the carrier and tables or planks.

I claim 1. In a plate-printing press, the combination, with two drums,of an endless carrier constituted of hinged sections and a series ofplate-supporting tables or planks, each of which is rigidly connectedcentrally to opposite sections, but having their free ends extendingbeyond the same, substantially as described.

2. In a plate-printing press, the combination, with an endless carrierand with a series of plate-supporting tables or planks connected to suchcarrier, of an impression-roller having its ends adapted to bear on saidcarrier and having its intermediate portion of less diameter than itsends, and a blanket passing around the under side of the intermediateportion of the roller, all for the purpose set forth.

3. In a plate-printing press, and in combination with an endless carrierhaving a series of plate-supporting tables or planks connected to suchcarrier, a cylinder arranged below said carrier, supporting-railsextending at either side beyond said cylinder, an

impression-roller the ends of which are in contact with said carrier andhaving its intermediate portion of less diameter, and the blanketoperating with said cylinder, all substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

4. In a plate-printing press, and in combination with an endless carrierhaving depressions formed therein and having a series ofplate-supporting tables or planks connected thereto, a cylinder arrangedbelow said carrier, supporting-rails extending at either side beyondsaid cylinder, and an impressionroller the ends of which are providedwith teeth adapted to engage the said depressions, all substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

5. In a plate-printing press, the combination, with an impression-rollerand a platesupporting table or plank, of two rods arranged at the frontand rear of the roller and adapted to operate in connection with ablanket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

.. R. M. DEWEY,

I. J. lllOHENRY.

